Now that the flood is over, catch up on your headlines

News you might have missed from Rockwell Collins, University of Iowa, the campaign trail and more

Sandbags have been painted for Halloween in front of a home on 24th Avenue SE in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Sept. 30, 2016. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette)

The Gazette

CEDAR RAPIDS — Perhaps the sandbags and other barriers blocked your view, but as the Cedar River rose, crested and receded, there was a world of news outside the Cedar Rapids flood evacuation zone.

Bullets flew in war zones, a shopping mall and in confrontations between police and civilians. The slings and arrows of political campaigns continued and, perhaps, like the river itself, surged. Baseball pennant races were decided and homecoming parades were marched.

So as the tide goes out, here’s what you need to know:

Sept. 22

▪ Even though fewer than 10 percent of a potential 28,787 University of Iowa students completed a survey on sexual violence on campus, 20 percent of female undergraduates reported being raped since enrolling at the Iowa City university.

▪ Retired Prairie Home Companion host Garrison Keillor, who has made his share of Iowa jokes, was in Des Moines mixing homespun humor with political commentary to urge Iowans to support Democrat Patty Judge for U.S. Senate and reject GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump. Hitting the campaign trail is rare for him, Keillor said, but he likes to “speak up for Democrats in endangered places ... and I like underdogs.”

▪ In Charlotte, North Carolina, a man was shot and critically injured during a second violent night of protests, after two sharply divergent accounts emerged of the death of a black man at the hands of police.

▪ A march of a few hundred people turned chaotic after protesters attempted to follow police in riot gear into the lobby of an uptown hotel. Officers used tear gas, and then a reporter heard one shot and saw a man lying in the street near the hotel entrance.

Sept. 23

▪ Fundraisers based on setting new Guinness World Records were planned by Friends of Cedar Lake, which needed at least 408 people to set a record for the largest, five-minute Hula-Hoop workout. Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity needed at least 1,821 people to set the record for fist-bumping.

▪ Warplanes mounted the heaviest airstrikes in months against rebel-held districts in the city of Aleppo as Russia and the Syrian government spurned a U.S. plea to halt flights, burying hope for the revival of a doomed cease fire. A hospital director told Reuters the death toll was 45.

Sept. 24

▪ Iowa State University President Steven Leath, a licensed pilot, reimbursed the university $4,637 for flying one of its planes on four occasions involving a combination of university and personal business.

▪ Later, he wrote a check for $15,000 to cover damages sustained after he encountered a downward draft while landing in Bloomington, Illinois. Leath clipped a runway light in the hard landing.

▪ Two months after refusing to endorse Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said in a Facebook message that although he had “‘areas of significant disagreement” with his party’s nominee, he would vote for Trump because he doesn’t want Hillary Clinton to become president.

Sept. 25

▪ Steve Martin and Martin Short headlined the opening of the University of Iowa’s glittering $176 million performing arts center just uphill from the original Hancher, lost to floods in 2008. More than 20,000 visited the new building this month, from 9,000 who attended two public open houses to 8,000 who came the following weekend for a free outdoor concert, followed by donors and guests who came to a gala dinner and show.

▪ President Barack Obama expressed hope that a new national museum showcasing the triumphs and tragedies of the African American experience helps bring people together. The museum, located on the National Mall, officially opened its doors Sept. 24. It contains 36,000 items that trace the journey of African Americans from slavery in the 1800s to the fight for civil rights in the 20th century.

▪ The Iowa Hawkeyes escaped from New Jersey with a 14-7 win over unranked Rutgers after making a fourth-down stand late in the game to preserve the lead.

Sept. 26

▪ United Nations officials suggested an air raid on a humanitarian convoy outside Aleppo, Syria, that killed 20 could be considered a war crime. However, the incident became a contest of international finger pointing with Russians and Syrians denying involvement and suggesting it might have been the work of a U.S. drone.

▪ The motive for a shooting in a Washington state mall that killed five was unknown, investigators said after arresting a suspect who was described as “zombielike” during the attack. FBI officials said while they had no indication the attack was a “terrorism act,” they could not rule out that possibility.

Sept. 27

▪ Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump launched into a spirited brawl as they met onstage for the first time, each jockeying for a breakout moment in their tightening race during the first debate of the general election campaign. The candidates repeatedly shouted over each other as they argued about their histories, plans and the comments each of them has made during the presidential race. “I have a feeling by the end of this debate I am going to be blamed for everything that ever happened,” Democrat Hillary Clinton said. “Why not?” Trump responded. “Join the debate by saying more crazy things,” Clinton shot back.

▪ Rockwell Collins won a contract to provide touch-screen flight displays on the new Boeing 777X jetliner, the first commercial air transport aircraft to be equipped with that type of flight displays. The displays are expected to make the flight deck more intuitive for pilots and more efficient for flight operations. Boeing has 300 orders and commitments for the 777X, with first deliveries planned for 2020.

Sept. 28

▪ More than 100 people gathered near the 1500 block of Eighth Avenue SE where police said a 13-year-old girl died from a gunshot to the head hours earlier while riding in a car with five others. Family, friends and community members held candles and balloons in remembrance of Ireshia Parks and pleaded with the young people present to stand against gun violence. Police said a 13-year-old male suspect now faces a charge of involuntary manslaughter.

▪ Midwest business conditions improved — slightly — despite weakness among manufacturers linked to agriculture and energy, according to the Creighton University Mid-America Business Conditions Index. The regional index, much as with the national reading, has indicated the manufacturing sector is experiencing anemic to negative business conditions.

▪ A key Iowa lawmaker suggested the state promote health care occupations for young people similar to a focus on STEM — science, technology, engineering and math — to meet the challenges of aging Iowans and the shortfall of trained professionals to take care of them. “Without reaching out to the next generation and showing them that they could have a fulfilling career in providing care, we will face a significant difficulty in meeting the needs of our growing senior population in this state,” Rep. Dave Heaton, R-Mount Pleasant, 75, co-leader of the Legislature’s health and human services budget subcommittee, told delegates to the Older Iowans Legislature.

Sept. 29

▪ A state audit found that a program that paid out $310 million to nearly 1,000 economic development projects from 2003 to 2014, plus an additional $1.4 billion in tax relief, created only 64 percent of the jobs promised. Of the 18,503 projected new jobs at those projects, 11,840 have been realized, according to the report. An additional 396 projects, with 24,757 projected jobs, are still in progress and do not have an accounting of jobs created.

▪ In Council Bluffs, GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump accused Democrat Hillary Clinton of being corrupt and attacked her use of a private email server when she was secretary of state. He also told about 1,200 people that he rejected the idea that he lost Monday’s debate, saying he won in a ‘landslide.’ About 1,200 people attended the rally. “How many more Clinton scandals can this country take?” he asked about her use of a private email server. Trump said he would lower taxes, reduce regulations, help family farms thrive, negotiate great trade agreements and repeal Obamacare while offering more choice among schools and improving national security and the nation’s borders.

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▪ Congress voted Sept. 28 to override President Barack Obama’s veto of legislation that allows relatives of 9/11 victims to sue the government of Saudi Arabia for their deaths. However, family members said they knew that even with the enactment of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, their day in court is distant. Congress is expected to revisit the legislation after the Nov. 8 general election.

▪ Based on thousands of wiretaps, photographs, witness statements and forensic tests during more than two years of inquiries, international prosecutors said Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down in July 2014 by a missile fired from a launcher brought into Ukraine from Russia and located in a village held by pro-Russian rebels. The findings counter Moscow’s suggestion that the passenger plane, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur in July 2014, was brought down by Ukraine’s military rather than the separatists.

Sept. 30

▪ Campaigning in Des Moines on the first day of early voting, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton predicted she will carry the state. Calling GOP nominee Donald Trump’s approach negative, she told about 2,000 people the nation has to “heal these divides.” “The future of our country, the future of our economy and the future of our society will be on the ballot,” Clinton said. “The election will be close. But we can win Iowa.”

▪ Federal investigators assessed whether equipment failure, an incapacitated operator or other factors could have caused a packed commuter-rail train to crash at Hoboken (New Jersey) Terminal, killing one person and injuring 100 others. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said the crash appeared to be accidental. Officials declined to speculate on a cause, but one thing is clear: The train was traveling far too fast as it entered one of the busiest transportation terminals in the New York area, crashed onto the concrete platform, destroyed the metal canopy over the platform and finally came to a rest when it crashed into the station building.

▪ Congress avoided a government shutdown by approving a continuing resolution to fund the federal government for 10 weeks beyond the end of the federal fiscal year Sept. 30. To make that happen, the House of Representatives and the Senate voted to allocate $1.1 billion in funding to address the Zika crisis, aid those affected by floods in Louisiana and give support to residents of Flint, Michigan, who have struggled with water contamination from lead pipes.

▪ Congress won’t be back in session until Nov. 14, leaving members a month to campaign for their re-elections.

Oct. 1

▪ After leading the $1.9 billion University of Iowa Health Care enterprise through a decade of historic prosperity that included world-renowned medical breakthroughs, soaring patient totals, record revenue and expansion — including a new children’s hospital and biomedical research facility — Jean Robilliard announced he’s stepping down. At almost 73 years old, Robillard, a pediatric nephrologist by training, said he intends to remain on faculty in the UI Stead Family Department of Pediatrics after his successor arrives.

▪ For now, a Decorah couple has the OK to build a home that looks like Kinnick Stadium in an Iowa City neighborhood, though their neighbors indicated they’ll likely take the issue to court. The Iowa City Board of Adjustment, which heard the neighbors’ appeal of the city’s granting the structure a building permit, split 2-2 on the issue Friday night, with one member recusing herself. That means the plan can proceed since three votes were required to overturn the city’s decision. City staff classified the house as a single-family dwelling and issued the building permit.

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▪ Police say Christopher Arteberry Jr. is dead following a stabbing incident Sept. 30 in Cedar Rapids about one mile from the campus of Kirkwood Community College. Cedar Rapids Public Safety spokesman Greg Buelow said officers responded to an apartment complex at 6725 College Park Court SW at 2:09 a.m. Emergency medical care was initiated at the scene and Arteberry was taken to Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids, where he was pronounced dead about an hour later, Buelow said.

▪ Former Israeli President Shimon Peres is laid to rest in Israel’s Mount Herzl national cemetery, eulogized by Israeli leaders, family and two American presidents as a founding father who first built up Israel’s military industrial complex and then sought peace with the Palestinians. Peres died Sept. 28 from complications of a stroke. He was 93.

Oct. 2

▪ Russian warplanes and their Syrian government allies battered rebel-held areas in and around Aleppo and rebels and aid workers accused them of destroying one of the city’s main hospitals and killing at least two patients.

▪ Iowa State University President Steven Leath has announced a historic campaign to raise $1.1 billion by June 30, 2020 — the most ambitious fundraising goal in the university’s history. ISU’s campaign, called “Forever True, For Iowa State,” comes just as the University of Iowa’s $1.7 billion capital campaign, called “For Iowa. Forever more,” nears its end.

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